Brett Kavanaugh: Republicans push for US Supreme Court vote

Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford both gave evidence on Thursday

Republicans are pushing to vote on President Donald Trump's nominee for the US Supreme Court on Friday, after hearing dramatic testimony from him and a woman accusing him of sexual assault.

Brett Kavanaugh, at times emotional and angry, denied assaulting Christine Blasey Ford when they were teenagers.

Dr Ford, close to tears, described the incident in detail saying it had "drastically" affected her life.

Mr Trump has urged the Senate - where Republicans have a majority - to vote.

This is expected next week, although the outcome is far from certain with a number of senators on both sides undecided.The American Bar Association has called for a delay of the vote to allow the FBI to investigate the claims by Dr Ford and other women.

The Supreme Court plays a vital role in US political life - appointed for life, its nine members have the final say on US law.

This includes highly contentious social issues, such as abortion, and challenges to government policy.

Mr Kavanaugh's appointment would tilt the balance in favour of conservatives for years to come.

For this reason, Republicans accuse the Democrats of seeking to delay the confirmation until after the mid-term elections in November when they hope to win enough seats to stop it altogether.